Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,297 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kingston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingston and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kingston and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,297 per month in Kingston vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Kingston $2,297
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,179 per month in Kingston vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Kingston $3,179
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,062 per month in Kingston vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Kingston $4,062
Medellin $3,199

Kingston costs about 41% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kingston and Medellin sit above the global median – Kingston by 70%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.68 CA$22.16

$8.30 COP 26.3K

88.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 CA$89.8

$46.91 COP 148.7K

35.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 CA$14.87

$9.24 COP 29.3K

13.85%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.96

$3.05 COP 9,676

15.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.96

$1.80 COP 5,707

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.38 COP 4,382

-5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 CA$7.98

$3.24 COP 10.3K

74.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CA$8.75

$5.56 COP 17.6K

11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.50 COP 4,760

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.70

$2.37 COP 7,508

10.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.24

$1.70 COP 5,377

76.47%

Eggs

$2.93 CA$4.14

$2.96 COP 9,379

-1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$10.22 COP 32.4K

2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 CA$16.63

$9.74 COP 30.9K

20.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CA$16.04

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.21

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.53 COP 4,839

-24.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$2.22 COP 7,052

56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.37

$2.27 COP 7,194

67.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.21

$1.99 COP 6,311

49.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.57

$1.67 COP 5,285

51.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 CA$3.03

$1.18 COP 3,742

82.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$1.24 COP 3,919

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$3.87 COP 12.3K

267.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 CA$18.01

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.66 COP 5,256

34.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 CA$4.21

$2.40 COP 7,615

24.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$1.24 COP 3,944

96.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 CA$81.7

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-26.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 CA$4.74

$1.28 COP 4,044

161.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$2.15 COP 6,803

-34.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.42 CA$45.84

$8.37 COP 26.5K

287.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.59

$1.35 COP 4,288

-16.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K CA$39.5K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-19.72%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-39.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$130 CA$184

$167 COP 528.4K

-21.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$39.13 CA$55.3

$13.62 COP 43.2K

187.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 CA$87.1

$29.12 COP 92.3K

111.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.11 CA$41.16

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-35.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.76 CA$12.38

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-49.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 CA$15.07

$6.97 COP 22.1K

52.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$525 CA$742

$790 COP 2.5M

-33.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$75.5

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-39.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.73 CA$44.86

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-45.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 CA$111

$139 COP 440.7K

-43.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 CA$116

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 CA$2,137

$1,028 COP 3.3M

47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 CA$1,751

$620 COP 2.0M

99.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,329 CA$3,293

$1,881 COP 6.0M

23.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 CA$2,380

$1,008 COP 3.2M

67.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,402 CA$4,810

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-14.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,433 CA$3,439

$1,702 COP 5.4M

42.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 CA$4,382

$663 COP 2.1M

367.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

10.94

-57.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kingston: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$1.2K 53.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 50% $619

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$336 14.6%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 11.3% $38

Eating Out

Kingston

$253 11%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 32.6% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$231 10.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 9.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$110 4.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 56.4% $62

Getting Around

Kingston

$78 3.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 22.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$50 2.2%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 17% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,512 in Kingston versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 367% higher in Kingston, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Kingston versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Kingston

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

1 h behind Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,363

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kingston Medellin 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kingston vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,297 in Kingston, $1,625 in Medellin – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,446 per month in Kingston and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,297 in Kingston and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 41%.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Kingston at $2,297. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $2,297 in Kingston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.